"Tizhen Wan" for Infantile Food Retention, Indigestion, Gastric Distension and Stomach Pain
The Pujifang (Prescriptions for Universal Relief) contains a formula named "Tizhen Wan." Its composition is: Qingpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride, green tangerine peel), Chenpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, tangerine peel), Jing Sanleng (Sparganii Rhizoma, sparganium), Zhiqiao (Aurantii Fructus, immature bitter orange), Houpo (Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex, magnolia bark), Hezi (Chebulae Fructus, myrobalan), and Baidoukou (Amomi Rotundus Fructus, round cardamom) 1 liang each (30 g); Roudoukou (Myristicae Semen, nutmeg) and Binglang (Arecae Semen, areca nut) 5 qian each (15 g); Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma, dried ginger) 3 fen (0.9 g). Preparation: grind all the above into a fine powder, form pills with water-milled flour paste, the size of a Mazi (hemp seed). Take twice daily, 20 pills each time, before meals, washed down with a decoction of appropriate amounts of Shengjiang (fresh ginger) and Jupi (tangerine peel).
The Mazi here refers to Huomaren (Cannabis Fructus, hemp seed) or Bimazi (Ricini Semen, castor bean), about the size of a mung bean. This formula warms the middle and disperses cold, moves qi and eliminates stagnation. It is indicated for children whose spleen has been injured by cold, with epigastric and abdominal pain and distension, hypochondriac pain, poor appetite, and disharmony of the viscera. The formula heavily uses qi-moving, mass-breaking herbs: Qingpi, Chenpi, Zhiqiao, Houpo, Sanleng, Baidoukou, Roudoukou, and Binglang all move qi, break up masses, and disperse stagnation. A small amount of Ganjiang is included to warm the middle and disperse cold, and the medicine is taken with a decoction of Shengjiang and Jupi, which also warms the middle, disperses cold, moves qi and eliminates stagnation. Hezi astringes the intestines and stops diarrhea; it is used because this kind of indigestion is often accompanied by diarrhea or loose stools.
Thus the main indication of this formula is qi-stagnation abdominal distension, indigestion, and epigastric pain caused by eating raw and cold food or by catching cold, with the pain radiating to the hypochondria and even the back. Modern gastroenteritis and cholecystitis can present with the above symptoms. Because children eat without restraint and cannot take care of themselves, they easily catch cold and wind, making this type of indigestion a common pediatric complaint. However, this formula is not limited to pediatric use; adults with the above symptoms can also take it.
No pharmaceutical manufacturer makes Tizhen Wan as a Chinese patent medicine. If you wish to use this formula, you will need to prepare the pills yourself according to the formula.